Advice on wiring a Kettle Plug

cheif kaiser · 11-09-2012 6:33pm #1

I need some advice on wiring a kettle plug please. I know how to wire it but the problem is that it is one of those plugs were you wrap the wire around the screw and then tighten the screw and I have found that this way of wiring is completely unreliable and wont take strain of any type without the wires popping out.

What can I do to make it more secure ? Could I use lugs or could I twist the wire into a loop and solder the loop closed, I can then put the screw through the holes and screw down. Would either of these methods work and would it be safe ? Thanks.

Avns1s · 11-09-2012 6:43pm

Are you putting the incoming cable through the "cord grip" and toghtening the 2 screws?

If you are and doing it properly, you shouldn't have a probble with the wires pulling off the screw fixings.

cheif kaiser · 11-09-2012 8:04pm

Yes I tighten it down as tight as it will go, which to be honest is not very secure, a good pull and it pops out. The main issue is that it is for a vacuum cleaner which inevitably undergoes some pulling and no matter what I have tried they always come undone.

Avns1s · 11-09-2012 8:11pm

Are you removing the sheath of the cable back beyond the cord grip?

The individual insulated wires in the cable should only be exposed about 1/4 of an inch or so inside the cord grip. The cord grip should be tightened down on the fully intact cable without the sheath removed.

If you are doing thes, then the screws must have lost their thread and not be tightening fully.

cheif kaiser · 11-09-2012 8:38pm

No I am not removing the sheath back that far, the grip is tightened down on top of the cable. Under the grip is a little ridge that is supposed to bite into the cable to help hold it in place but when I tried tugging it, it is still fairly loose. It is not a metal grip like in the picture, it is plastic and is fairly pliable so just won't grip well enough.

It probably wouldn't be a problem if it was on something that is not moved around a lot but with a vacuum there is aways going to be a bit of strain on the cord and after a while it always stops working because a wire has popped out. This is the third time I have tried a different model of kettle plug in the hope that it is more robust than the last but this time I want to make sure it can't pop out!

Avns1s · 11-09-2012 8:44pm

Must be a thinner cable than was intended for that plug.

You could try turning the cord grip upside down, ie take out the two screws and turn that flat piece upside down. Alternatively, you could just put another inch of cable under the cord grip so that it's pretty tight when you screw it down.

cheif kaiser · 11-09-2012 9:55pm

Ye putting another piece of cable would probably help but would still like to get the inside wires a little more secure, the screw that tightens down on them is not very big and pushes some of the wires out. I would still like to try soldering the wires into a loop so that they cannot be dragged loose, I am just unsure if this is safe or not ?

11-09-2012 10:01pm

You could bite the bullet and go for this

Avns1s · 11-09-2012 10:02pm

I wouldn't consider it unsafe if it's done properly but it should certainly be unnecessary if the cord grip was doing its job properly.

leeomurchu · 11-09-2012 11:22pm

Just wrap some insulating tape around the cable where the clasp goes it should get a grip on it then or a small cable tie above the clamp it won't pull through. Over kill though you must be swinging out of it.

cheif kaiser · 11-09-2012 11:29pm

Ha Ha, it's not me that's swinging out of it, it's in the office and everybody is swinging out of it and the reason why I want a bit of over kill, if I could weld it in I would

I would still like to solder it, if it would be safe ??

leeomurchu · 11-09-2012 11:32pm

cheif kaiser wrote: »

Ha Ha, it's not me that's swinging out of it, it's in the office and everybody is swinging out of it and the reason why I want a bit of over kill, if I could weld it in I would

I would still like to solder it, if it would be safe ??

Just put some lugs on it if they'll fit in but do as I was saying there and wrap a bit of tape around it to increase the diameter of the cable and tighten down the clasp it shouldn't budge.

cheif kaiser · 11-09-2012 11:34pm

Excellent! Thanks.:)

leeomurchu · 11-09-2012 11:35pm

cheif kaiser wrote: »

Ha Ha, it's not me that's swinging out of it, it's in the office and everybody is swinging out of it and the reason why I want a bit of over kill, if I could weld it in I would

I would still like to solder it, if it would be safe ??

No reason why solder wouldn't be safe once you're neat about it but solder isn't very strong anyway so try the lugs it looks like they'll fit alright.

TheBody · 13-09-2012 5:31pm

Why don't you just put a regular plug on it? One like this:

Avns1s · 13-09-2012 5:42pm

TheBody wrote: »

Why don't you just put a regular plug on it? One like this:

Dear God!!! :rolleyes:

leeomurchu · 13-09-2012 5:44pm

TheBody wrote: »

Why don't you just put a regular plug on it? One like this:

I doubt that'd fit into the back of a kettle though.:D What you reckon? Maybe check out original pic :rolleyes:

13-09-2012 5:50pm

TheBody wrote: »

Why don't you just put a regular plug on it? One like this:

It's a little more complicated

TheBody · 13-09-2012 6:44pm

My bad. Didn't look at the pic properly.

meercat · 13-09-2012 6:48pm

sorry

cheif kaiser · 13-09-2012 11:55pm

TheBody wrote: »

Why don't you just put a regular plug on it? One like this:

Because it wouldn't fit into the socket on the vacuum

M cebee · 14-09-2012 6:46am

cheif kaiser wrote: »

Because it wouldn't fit into the socket on the vacuum

the 'kettle plug' is actually an iec 'socket'

and the connection on the vacuum cleaner is the 'plug'

maybe that's where the confusion arose

cheif kaiser · 14-09-2012 7:08am

M cebee wrote: »

the 'kettle plug' is actually an iec 'socket'

and the connection on the vacuum cleaner is the 'plug'

maybe that's where the confusion arose

It's an iec c13 connector but everyone knows them as kettle plugs.

Cerco · 14-09-2012 9:59am

Yes, but those who know what they are talking about know it as a kettle socket.

SweetCaliber · 14-09-2012 9:22pm

Clamp it and put a small dab of glue around the wire just be the clamp.

That should keep it in place, if not buy another wire, a little thicker then the one in it at the moment.

cheif kaiser · 14-09-2012 10:44pm

Cerco wrote: »

Yes, but those who know what they are talking about know it as a kettle socket.

No! Those who know what they are talking about call it an iec, c13 connector!

M cebee · 15-09-2012 9:31am

cheif kaiser wrote: »

It's an iec c13 connector but everyone knows them as kettle plugs.

according to wiki the c13 doesn't actually fit a kettle

the c15/c16 for a kettle has a higher temperature rating than the c13/c14

and a slightly different design

M cebee · 15-09-2012 5:31pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_60320

shows the difference between the c13 and c15 iec outlets

cheif kaiser · 15-09-2012 10:56pm

M cebee wrote: »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_60320

shows the difference between the c13 and c15 iec outlets

Yes, but I am not using it for a kettle I am using it for a vacuum and the one I am using is an iec, c13 connector but regardless, it is still well known as a kettle plug.

From your very own Wikipedia article - "A kettle plug may refer to either the high-temperature C15/C16 or the regular temperature C13/C14 connectors"

bette · 17-09-2012 8:35am

cheif kaiser wrote: »

Ha Ha, it's not me that's swinging out of it, it's in the office and everybody is swinging out of it and the reason why I want a bit of over kill, if I could weld it in I would

I would still like to solder it, if it would be safe ??

Ask the guy in IT for a cable, they always have loads hanging around!

Advice on wiring a Kettle Plug

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